Egyptians in nine provinces - Alexandria, Gharbia, Qalyoubeya, Beheira, Ismaelia, Suez, Port Said, Qena, Fayyoum - voted Sunday in the second round of a parliamentary election. But the Egyptian vote was marred by the death of the driver of a candidate running for a seat. The incident took place in the city of Alexandria, reported AFP.

Mohammed Khalil, a driver for a dissident candidate from the ruling National Democratic Party, was beaten to death Sunday by a "group of thugs hired by the party's official candidate," said Mohammed Zarai, head of the National Campaign for Monitoring Elections.

All in all, there are 1,706 candidates competing in 72 constituencies in this round. Some 10,531,000 voters are to take part in voting which are being held in more than 10,000- sub-voting stations.

Candidates associated with the Muslim Brotherhood won 34 seats in the first round of the elections on Nov. 9, more than doubling its representation in the outgoing parliament.

The ruling NDP party gained 112 seats in the first round. All 454 places in the parliament are up for election in the three-stage process that concludes Dec. 1.

Meanwhile, some 200 supporters and activists of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested. Some 100 supporters were detained early Sunday in the Fayyoum governorate some 100 kilometers south of Cairo, security sources told AFP.